December 2013

As Vin Scully prepares to head down Colorado Blvd New Years Day as the Grand Marshall of the Rose Parade, I thought it appropriate to post one of my favorite photos of Vin and Sandy casually enjoying one of my favorite traditions of Spring Training at Dodgertown, the Annual Western BBQ held in the backyard of Dodgertown.

Players, both majors and minors, all coaches, all staff, media and family members were invited to enjoy a wonderful evening of steak, ribs, chicken, fish, corn on the cob along with baked beans and chili all cooked up by Chef Steve and served by Bird and May et al.

I can remember the pecan pie tasting delightful and coffee being served in tin cups.

Cowboy hats and bandanas were handed out upon entry as well as your favorite beverage served by Mary Beth.

A bonfire was built of stacked broken bats that kept the air warm and smokey.

Children were given hayrides and a petting zoo to play at.

Craig Callan has always run a topnotch facility and still does to this day.

The weather was usually mild and a jacket was rarely necessary.

In this picture taken during the final Western BBQ held March 7, 2008, Vin and Sandy dine on MY basketball court where I spent many evenings chasing down my own bricks and sometimes following the ball into oblivion over the fence into the swampland behind one of the baskets.

In what was one of the busiest Saturdays I can remember with Dodgers visiting all over the city, Juan Ocampo covered Ned Colletti during LA Rotary’s Angel City Christmas at Algin Sutton Recreation Center in Los Angeles during the morning then Tommy Lasorda and Steve Yeager at Century City Mall for the Dodgers Westfield Mall Tour. Patrick Gee covered the Dreamfield dedication with Wes Parker, Dennis Powell and Derrell Thomas at the Roy Campanella Park in Compton. I met up with Lee Lacy for the Echo Park Parade in the morning then photographed Adrian Gonzalez giving away toys at the East Los Angeles Toy Giveaway at the East LA Civic Center.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Levy Restaurants and SKECHERS hosted more than 300 children from the community surrounding Dodger Stadium at the Children’s Holiday Party today in the Stadium Club. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez and Dodger Alumni Billy Ashley, Tommy Davis, Al Downing, Al Ferrara, “Sweet” Lou Johnson, Kenny Landreaux, Matt Luke and Dennis Powell were on hand for the event.

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